of syracuse



P 6, 1932- c. BISSELL 1,875,367

RESYNCHRONIZING MEANS FOR TRAFFIC SIGNAL-1N6 sys'rsus Filed Oct. 27.1930 INVENTOR.

- A TTORNEYS,

Patented Sept. 6, 1932 UNITED STATES,

PATENT] OFFICE CARL H. BISSELL, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TOCRO'U'SE-HINDS COMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, CORPORATION OF NEW YORK'RESYNCHRONIZING MEANS FOR TRAFFIC, SIGNALING SYS TEHS Application filedOctober 27, 1980. Serial No. 491,349.

'This invention relates to systems having master and secondarycontrollers as traffic sifgnaling systems for highway intersections thegeneral type shown in my pending application Sr. No. 460,771, filed June12, 1930,

and has for its object a particularly simple and efficient control meansfor comparatively small systems, which control means synchronizes orresynchronizes the system periodically so that the signals of the systemmaintain a predetermied timing or order. The system of application Sr.No. 460,771 is primarily adapted for larger systems for cities and thepresent invention is intended for smaller systems of a comparativelysmall number of signals or, in other words, a system particularlyadapted for villages where there are but two, three or fourintersections to be guarded.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations andconstructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawing in which like characters designate corresponding parts in allthe views.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the application of thesystem to a system of streets.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram ofthis traffic system.

The particular construction of the motors,

timers, switches, etc. form no part of this invention and constitute thesubject matter of said application Sr. No. 460,771, and completeunderstanding of the present invention can be had more clearly without adetailed description of the motors, timers and other mechanical parts.

This trafiic signaling system comprises generally a master controllerincluding an electric motor, a timer, and a secondary controller forcontrolling the signals at each intersection and each including anelectric motor and timer,'and means controlled partly by the mastercontroller and partly by the secondary controller at each intersectionfor stopping the secondary controller at predetermined intervalspreferably once during each trafiic cycle.

The signals are usually green lights for go and red lights for stop wlthor without an intermediate warning signal, usually an amber li ht. Thesesi nals pass through re-' peate trafiic cycles rom go to sto on onehighway, stop to go on the intersecting highway and back to go on thefirst highway, 0 and stop on the intersecting highway. y traflic cycleperiod is meant the total time it requires for the signals to make oncom lete cycle. This may be a total period 0 say sixty, ninety, onehundred or one hundred and twenty seconds, etc. The trafiic cycle periodmay be divided up evenly, that is, the trafiic cycle period of onehundred seconds may be divided fifty seconds go on each street, or maybe divided in any other manner as sixty seconds go on the main streetand forty seconds go on the intersecting street with forty seconds stopon the main street and sixty seconds stop on the intersecting street.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, the total traflic cycledepends upon the speed of the motor of the master controller.

1 designates the main street. 2, 3, 4 and 5 intersecting streets, therebeing signals located at each intersection controlled by controllers 10,11, 12 and 13, the controller 10 which controls one intersection,serving as a master controller for the system and the controllers 11, 12and 13 being secondary controllers. 14 designates generally the electricmotor of the master controller, and 15 the timer shaft actuated by themotor, this timer shaft having cams not shown thereon for controllingthe display of the signals. 16 designates the secondary motor at eachintersection and 17 the timer shaft having cams thereon, not shown, forcontrolling the display of signals at that intersection. The timing camsmay be of any suitable construction, but as the construction thereofforms no part of this invention, and as the construction and operationoftiming cams are well known, and further as a full description thereofis unnecessary to completely understand the present invention, furtherdescription is thought to be unnecessary butfor a full description areference is had to the pending application referred to.

18 are the energizing or driving coils of the motor 14 of the mastercontroller, these being connected by wires 18 and 18 to the supplywires. 19 designates the energizing or driving coils of the motor 16 ofeach secondary controller, these being connected by wires 20 and 20 tosupply wires. The driving coils of all the motors may be connected tothe same source of supply or may be connected independently of eachother to the local feed wires. The secondary controllers aresynchronized or resynchronized periodically, as once during each trafiiccycle and are controlled in the synchronizing partly by the mastercontroller and partly by the secondary controller at each intersectionand the synchronization is effected by stopping or stalling thesecondary motors once during each traffic cycle. The secondary motorsare preferably stalled by energizing normally idle bucking coils.

21 designates the bucking coils of each secondary motor, these, whenenergized, acting in opposition to the driving coils 19 and completelyopposing the same. The flow of current to the bucking coils iscontrolled partly by the master controller and partly by each secondarycontroller, that is, the companion secondary controller, and in theillustrated embodiment of this invention, the bucking coils of eachsecondary motor are connected 111 a circuit having a normally closedswitch therein operated by the master controller and a normally openswitch therein operated by the companion secondary controller. Thebucking coils are connected in the feed circuit through conductors 22and 23, a normally open switch designated generally 24 in the conductor23, to be presently described, a change over switch 25, and a normallyclosed switch 26. The switch 25 forms no part of the invention. Theswitch 24 is closed once during each trafiic cycle by the companionsecondary controller. The switch 26 which is normally closed, is openedonce during each traflic cycle of the master controller. The switch 26is operated by a cam 27 on the timer shaft 15 of the master controller,this cam having a comparatively long, high or dwell portion which coactswith a movable switch arm 28 and normally holds the switch 26 inengagement with the contact 29. The cam is also formed with a lowportion or depression 30 which when it comes opposite the arm 28 permitsor causes the switch arm 26 to separate from the contact 29 and thusopen the bucking coil circuit. The switch 24 comprises spaced apartcontacts 31, 32, an arm 33 for closing said contacts and a shifter oroifset arm 34 movable with the shaft 17 of the secondary timer andoperable to actuate the arm .33 against a returning spring 33 to bringthe contacts 31 and 32 together once during each traffic cycle.

The master controller is set to run a little slower than the secondarycontroller, thus the offset arm 34 will operate the arm 33 to close thebucking coil circuit before the switch arm 28 reaches the depression 30of the cam 27. The traflic cycle period is determined by regulating thespeed of the motors of the master and secondary controllers. Thesemotors are usually of the induction disk type and the speed iscontrolled by adjusting the shading coils of the motor in the usualmanner. During the operation of the system the oil'- set arm 34 willactuate the arm 33 to engage the contacts 31, 32 just prior to the timethe recess 30 of the cam 27 comes opposite the switch arm 28, hence whenthe ofi'set arm does engage and actuate the switch arm 33, the buckingcoils 21 will be cut into a closed circuit so that the secondary motor16 will be stalled and all of the secondary motors will be stalledbefore the recess 30 comes op posite the switch arm 28. When the recess30 does register with the switch arm 28, the arm 26 will separate fromthe contact 29, thus opening the bucking coil circuits of each and allthe secondary motors so that the secondary motors 16 will start and allof them will start at the same time. The timer shafts 17 will thus beactuated causing the offset arms 34 to ratchet past the switch arms 33permitting said arms to return to their normal position and permit thecontacts 31, 32 to separate so that the bucking coil circuits remainopen after the switch 26 is closed by the high portion of the cam 27again operating the switch arm 28. The switch arm 33 of each secondarymotor is returned by the suitable spring 33 to its original positionafter it is released from the oiisetarm 34. The contacts 31 or 32 orboth are tensioned to move away from each other or one from the other,when the force holding them together is discontinued. The offset arms 34of all the secondary controllers are timed to engage the arms 33 beforethe low portion of the cam 27 of the master controller, registers withthe follower of the switch arm 28.

The change over switch 25 forms no part of this invention and it ismerely for the purpose of connecting the bucking coils of some of thesecondary motors in one synchronizing circuit and the bucking coils ofothers in another synchronizing circuit. The latter circuit iscontrolled by a cam 270 for closing a normally closed switch 206therein, the

switches 24 of the bucking coil circuits may be connected selectively incircuit withtheswitch 206 by means of the switch 25. This switch 25consists merely of a contact 36 arranged to coact with either one or theother of two contacts 37, 38. It is normally arranged to engage thecontact 37, as shown in Figure 2, but if it is desired to connect thebucking coils of anyone or more secondary motors in circuit with theswitch 206, then the switch arm 36 is shifted to engage the contact 38.It is shifted by means of a plug 39 insertable 5 in a hole 40 againstthe arm 36 to press and hold it against the contact 38. There is oneswitch 25 for each secondary controller and this switch 25 is mountedadjacent a wall 41 of the casing of the secondary controller and thehole 40 is formed in said Wall. This feature forms no art of thisinvention and is fully set forth'in the pending application referred to.

What I claim is:

In a stop and go trafiic signaling system for street intersections inwhich the signals pass through repeated traffic cycle periods, a mastercontroller including an electric motor, a secondary controller for thesignals at each intersection including an electric motor, each motorhaving a driving coil, circuits for the driving coilswhich areconstantly closed during the operation of the system, each secondarymotor having a bucking coil, the elecg5 tric motor or master controllerbeing unpro' vided with a bucking coil, the bucking coil circuit havinga normally closed and it normally open switch therein, means operated bythe master controller for holding the norao mallyclosed switch closedand having means for opening the bucking coil circuitduring each trailiccycle, each secondary timer having means for closing the companionnormally open switch during each trailic cycle. as In testimony whereof,I have hereunto signed my name, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga,and State of New York, this th day of October, 1930.

CARL H. BISSELL.

